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Breath of the Spirit

Pastoral, Liturgical, Teaching, and Social Justice Moments brought to you by www.DignityUSA.org.

Breath of the Spirit is DignityUSA’s electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your chapter or other faith community, but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life.

We welcome relevant homilies, inspirational writings, social justice opportunities, or theological articles from other sources also — particularly from wise women and men who can help us grow as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) and allied Catholic/Christians. You may volunteer to help with this program or send your comments by e-mailing [email protected] ATTN: Breath of the Spirit.

Many regard today’s second reading as Yahweh’s cruelest biblical trick. How can any god command a father kill his son, and then only tell him he was “kidding” just before he strikes the fatal blow? There must be more here than meets the eye. Why is such a narrative even in Scripture?

Though today’s Genesis passage mentions the Bible’s first covenant, I’m afraid some of us Catholics don’t know the first thing about Scriptural covenants. We’ve heard the word and know it has something to do with “things” between us and God, but that’s about as far as we go.

Paul’s words to the Corinthians should ring throughout today’s liturgy: “. . . I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many . . .” As other Christs, our actions are geared to helping others, not doing things for our own advantage. Pope Francis says it well... more

Biblical fundamentalists have a huge problem when they hear one biblical author disagree with another biblical author. Among other places, that happens both in the bible’s “wisdom debate,” and in today’s three liturgical readings.

The first miracle Jesus works in each gospel is very significant. The evangelist deliberately chooses it not only to set the tone for his whole gospel, but to especially tell us what we, as other Christs, should be doing to imitate the person whose ministry we’re carrying on. That’s certainly the... more

We spend so much time arguing about whether a person can live in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights that we actually forget why the author of Jonah originally wrote his well-known book. Scholars for a long time have concluded these small three chapters aren’t to be taken literally... more

Nothing creates more interest for Scripture’s original readers than the “call narratives” many of our sacred authors include in their writings. When Yahweh or the gospel Jesus asks someone to be a disciple, everyone listens carefully to the details. Their interest isn’t hard to understand. Those... more

We Three Kings certainly isn’t an appropriate hymn for the feast of the Epiphany. If Scripture scholars had their way every “kingly” crib statue would be ceremoniously smashed during today’s liturgy – immediately before the homily.

One of the most difficult things for some Catholics to admit is that no Christian biblical author seems to argue that the “contemplative life” is the ideal way to live one’s faith. That doesn’t prove such a life style isn’t valid – electric lights aren’t in the Bible either – but it often overlooks... more

No matter how much I try to put it out of my mind, I frequently think of White Christmas today; not because I’m sentimental about old-time Christmas songs, but because I teach Scripture. I often use it as an example in my courses.

I presume we’re all doing a lot of gawking at Christmas decorations on this last day before Christmas. Places that were rather plain a couple days ago have been beautifully gussied up for our annual celebration. Of course, we’d better “look quick;” some decorations – especially the commercial ones... more

Part of your remote preparation for today’s readings might be to rent the 1998 movie Simon Birch. It’s the story of a young boy with dwarfism who is convinced God made him for a “special heroic purpose.” Though almost everyone – including his pastor – tries to talk him out of his fantasy, the... more